Chapter 3 #2
“We were going to get to know the two of you first. Dinner isn’t quite ready yet.
” There was tension in her voice, but she didn’t care.
If you invite someone to eat at six, then the food should be ready at six.
Sitting down on one of the many couches in the living room, Beth was blown away by the fireplace.
You could cook an entire cow in the sucker and still have room left over.
She said as much to the man sitting next to her.
“I think at one time this house was one of the biggest in town. Now it’s ours that is bigger. Kaida and I entertain a great deal, and we just love all the extra room. But you’re right, this is a wonderful fireplace. Do you have one in your place?”
“No.” She looked around the room and couldn’t believe how good-looking the men were. They looked alike but not like brothers. There was only a slight resemblance to each other that made you know they were related in some way. “Are you all brothers?”
“No, cousins. Brenin and Cassian are brothers, and Tank and Ace are brothers. We, the rest of us, are cousins. We all live around here. In fact, Tank is thinking about buying the house when it goes up for sale in a couple of weeks.” She said that he was going to pay dearly because she wanted half the money.
“I’m afraid that he’s only going to go fair market on it and not more.
If you wanted more money, then I’m thinking that you should have taken out a policy on your sister before she passed away. ”
“That was just rude.” He tipped his drink at her, and she wanted to get up and bash his face in. “Are all of you like this, or are you going to be treating us this way all the time. I have better things to do than to be spoken to in that manner.”
“Then go home.” Serenity came out of the room that was just off the living room when she spoke. “You’ve been rude since you got here. I’m betting right now that they wish they’d never invited you.”
“What did you do, tell them what a bitch I was being to you? You’ve not been any nicer to me.” Serenity lifted her chin, a sure sign that she was pissed off. “Why don’t you go home? You’ve been a pain in my ass since I left the hospital.”
“You couldn’t be bothered to come to the hospital when I called you forty-one times so that you could say goodbye.
I don’t believe for a minute that she told you to go out and get your nails done.
” She stood up and said that she had. “She told me that you said for her to hurry up and die so that you could leave. Does that ring a bell with you? How could you leave her there alone?”
Beth looked around the room, and everyone was staring at her.
She picked up her purse and was ready to leave when they said that dinner was ready.
Going into the dining room, she sat at the first place she could find.
Blinded by anger, she was going to eat her meal and leave.
There was no point in trying to talk to her sister when she was in a mood like this.
~*~
Tank watched the two women. He knew for a fact that Serenity was his mate, but he’d been giving her time to deal with her sister’s death.
He wished now that he’d claimed her when he’d had the chance, and then it would be finished.
Her sister was a bitch, and the sooner that she was out of the house…
well, he thought that everyone thought that she should be out of the house.
She’d made a right ass of herself. He tried to get as close to Serenity as he could.
“I should go.” He said that dinner would be all right. “I know, but I’ve caused a terrible scene, and I should be going.”
“Nonsense.” He was glad that Ace was talking to her, too. “We are used to arguments. We’re family, and we argue all the time.” That wasn’t true, but he understood what he was doing. “Besides, it’s not every day that we get to have food and entertainment.”
He laughed, and so did Ace. Serenity looked wounded, and his heart hurt for her.
Guiding her to the table, he was able to sit as close to her as he could get.
With him on one side and Ace on the other, he felt like he could protect her.
He didn’t know how he was going to do that when it was verbal attacks going on, but he was going to try.
He looked down the table at Beth and asked her when she was going back to her home.
“As soon as I get the money from the sale.” He didn’t know what to say about that, so he kept his mouth shut. “I’m going to get half of what the sales are for the day, and I’m not paying the auctioneer or any taxes on anything.”
“The bank will be there to take their cut on the sale of the house. They’ll put it towards the sale for back taxes.
Helen got a little behind when she was so sick.
” Beth said again that she wasn’t paying them.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. They’ll take their cut right away before they hand over the cash. After the house is paid off, I guess.”
“I don’t want to be responsible for a house that I don’t own.
They should try to get it from Helen if they want it so bad.
” He heard the shocked intake of Serenity’s breath.
“If I don’t get it all, I’m going to make Serenity pay me back.
It’s the least she can do after me not being named in the will. ”
“How was I supposed to know that she didn’t name you in the will?
I’ve told you this several times. I wasn’t there when she made it out.
I had nothing to do with her choosing me to be the executor of the estate.
Nor that she didn’t leave you things to do.
I’m not getting anything from this sale.
So far, I’ve been responsible for the extra costs.
” Brenin said that she needs to take that from the sale of the house.
That Helen never wanted her to be in debt over things like the headstone and the hospital bill.
“The hospital bill is paid off. They wrote off what the policy didn’t cover, and that was fine by me.
” Brenin shook his head before speaking again.
“Good. But the marker should come from the estate. You make sure you take that right off the top when you talk to the banker.” Tank didn’t say anything, but he had thought that the house had been paid off and transferred to Serenity’s name.
He’d have to find that out. “Also, the percentage that he’s taking is something that will come out of the top, too.
Make sure that he’s paid right away, or that could cause some trouble with the banker. I think they’re brothers.”
“I can do that.” Beth looked like she was going to say something, but Serenity cut her off. “I’ve been keeping track of the things that you told me to do when I was in your office. I know that all the expenses that I incur will be taken off the house sale.”
“What about my expenses? I’ve been staying in a hotel since before she died.
Can I have that taken off the top, too?” He said that she wasn’t named in the will.
“Christ. If I could dig her up and shake her to make things right, I would. Damn it. Well, you’ll just have to do that for me, Sen.
I’m not going to be out all the hotel costs when you’ve been living in her house all this time. ”
“I told you several times to come and live in the house with me. You said it smelled bad.” Beth laughed, but not in a humorous way.
“I can’t help it if you paid that much for a hotel when the house was sitting right there for us to use.
Also, her car. I’m selling it at the auction too, so you’ll need to find yourself something else to drive around in. ”
“I’m taking it home with me. You see that I don’t.” Serenity said she was selling it, and that was final. “Yeah? We’ll see about that. I need a car, and there is no point in my having to buy one when there is one right there to use.”
“Too bad. The house and the contents, as well as the car, have been advertised. It’ll all sell, or you get nothing from me.
” Beth turned a dark shade of red when she looked at her sister.
Tank was fearful for his mate’s life from the look.
As soon as Beth stood up and said she was leaving, Brenin stood up as well.
He was calling for the car to take her home immediately.
Within ten minutes, Beth was getting into the limo and away from the house. Tank looked around the room at the shocked faces. It wasn’t until Serenity stood up that he thought she was leaving as well. And when she said it was for the best, that she should leave too, everyone at the table said no.
“I mean, I’ve brought this to your home.
” Lisa said that it was nonsense that no one had brought anything to their home except for Beth.
“She’s been fighting with me for the last two weeks about the money.
I’m so sick of it, I just want to hand it all over to her and be done with it.
But I have a feeling that it’s not going to be enough.
She’s going to want more and more so that I’m broke too. ”
“I’ll take over.” Brenin came back to the table after calling for the limo and having it take Beth home.
“I know as well as you do that the house is paid off. I’ll set it up with the bank to have a balance that you want, and the rest will be divided between you and Beth.
If she gets pissy with me, I’ll have her put in jail.
I’m sorry that I ever helped Helen with the will.
I believe that she was right in putting you in charge, but I bet she had no idea that it would cause this much trouble. ”